Originally published July 9, 2020.

In this four page document we see the founders’ thought process as they selected a site for St Paul’s in the growing town of Boston. To give you an idea of what Boston was like in 1819 take a look at the map from 1814. The corridor of what is now Washington St (noted by the orange line on the map.) This road would have led a resident to the extreme end of the town, and it was often referred to as Boston Neck. This narrow “neck” would have then led to the town of Roxbury. In between those two towns was a wetland, now the neighborhoods of the Bay Village, the Back Bay, and The Fenway. These neighborhoods do not yet exist in 1819. The Committee decided to buy a few lots across from the Common that already have buildings and “clear the site of its encumbrances” in order to construct St Paul’s Church. The location of Old North, Trinity Church, and King's Chapel have been marked to give you an idea of how these churches were spaced apart from each other.

Sources from the Cathedral archives.